The Royal Family gathered to commemorate The King’s official birthday with the annual Trooping the Colour Parade, showcasing magnificent military pageantry and celebrating the Monarch’s ties to the Armed Forces.
As per tradition, The King donned the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order, specifically the Irish Guards, while The Queen, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, wore her Grenadier Guards military brooch.
Their Majesties arrived at the Parade in the Scottish State Coach, one of the oldest vehicles in the Royal Mews. Meanwhile, The Princess of Wales traveled with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in the Glass Coach.
The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, and The Duke of Edinburgh participated in the parade on horseback, riding Darby, Noble, and Sir John, respectively, attired in the uniforms of the Regiments where they hold the role of Royal Colonels: the Welsh Guards, the Blues and Royals, and the Scots Guards.
The parade itself was executed by hundreds of military working horses and over a thousand soldiers from the British Army’s Household Division.
The King’s Birthday Parade serves as a ceremonial gesture from the Household Division to His Majesty, occurring annually on the second Saturday in June, irrespective of the Sovereign’s actual birth date. This event allows the Household Division to showcase their professional excellence and allegiance to the Crown.
Most participants in the parade are aged between 18 and 25, recent recruits who undergo ceremonial training alongside their combat training.
During the parade, the King’s Colour (Regimental flag) is “Trooped” through the ranks of soldiers. This year, the honor to Troop the Colour fell to Number 9 Company Irish Guards, marking the first occasion that an Irish Guards Public Duties Company has performed this duty on a Sovereign’s Birthday Parade.
Number 9 and Number 12 Irish Guards Public Duties Companies were established in September 2022 during the final days of Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign. Over the past year, the Irish Guards have been deployed 17 times to six countries.
The King serves as the Colonel in Chief of the seven Guards regiments.
Distinguished by the St Patrick’s blue plumes in their bearskins, the Irish Guards consist of troops from various regions including the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Liverpool, Birmingham, Fiji, and the wider Commonwealth.
The Irish Guards are unique within the Household Division for having a Regimental Mascot, an Irish Wolfhound, who led the Band of the Irish Guards and the Drums and Pipes of the Irish Guards onto Horse Guards parade.
Following the parade on Horse Guards, the Irish Guards marched up The Mall as part of the Royal Procession. Subsequently, they assumed the role of the new King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace for the ensuing 24 hours, thus concluding the Trooping of their Colour ceremony.
